20 years after Indian Ocean tsunami, some displaced Sri Lankan survivors are still waiting for housing

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COLOMBO: Twenty years after the massive Indian Ocean tsunami wreaked havoc on Sri Lanka, some survivors are still trying to pick up the pieces. 

Those living in poorly-constructed settlements near the shore were the worst affected when the tsunami on Dec 26, 2004 ravaged over two-thirds of the country’s coastline. 

More than 35,000 people died, over 100,000 homes were destroyed, and half a million people were displaced in the natural disaster, one of the worst in recorded history.

Today, some are still waiting for a new home. 

Hameeda Umma, for instance, is the beneficiary of a housing scheme in Norochcholai in the Ampara district, one of the worst-hit areas. 

But the 62-year-old has yet to receive a roof over her head that she can call her own, two decades after her home was destroyed in the tragedy. 

“We are hoping to get the house. The authorities are not giving us the house yet,” she said. 

“Even after 20 years, they have not provided the house. During those 20 years, my children suffered a lot. We are still like this today.”

POST-DISASTER HOUSING

After the tsunami, rebuilding homes was one of Sri Lanka’s top priorities. 

Earlier this year, CNA visited a housing complex in Norochcholai near a remote sugarcane plantation. 

There are 500 houses in the complex funded by the Saudi Arabian government to assist displaced families. 

But the distribution of the houses was suspended by a court order because of ethnic politics.

The Ampara district is predominantly Muslim, but the court instructed authorities to distribute the houses according to the ratio of the country’s population.

In October, Sri Lankan authorities finally gave instructions to hand over the houses to the beneficiaries.

Siraj Mashoor, a member of the Akkaraipattu Municipal Council, said there is a need to study the social impact of various development projects on a location and its people. 

“When you go to an area and if you are going to start a project, you should understand the culture, the diversity and the nature of the area,” he added. 

“That kind of transparency and interaction was not here. All of a sudden, you start a huge project in an area, and there are doubts from people. Because in Sri Lanka, this post-war politics is highly polluted with this ethnocentric politics.”

RECONSTRUCTING ACCOUNTABILITY

But not all housing projects faced such setbacks.

Tsunami survivor Thuiyahandi Champa Samanmali is a beneficiary of a housing project in Seenigama, on the south coast of Sri Lanka, donated by Australia’s state of Victoria.

“My family and I received this house. At that time, it was like we received a palace because before that, we were living in other people’s homes,” she said. 

“So when we received the house, we felt very happy. It was as if we received the best palace in the world.”

Sri Lankan non-governmental organisation Foundation of Goodness has helped build about 1,000 houses funded by donors after the tsunami.

The foundation, which aims to uplift rural communities, said it tries to steer clear of ethnic politics and offer equal assistance to all.

“When someone expects us to deliver something, we deliver it beyond what they expect,” said its founder Kushil Gunasekera. 

“It’s other people’s money. So you’ve got to make sure that your accountability is at a different level.”

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